Journalled on Saturday, 30 September 2023 | Flamengo, Rio de Janeiro: 26 degrees, warm, sunny and slightly overcast.
It was overcast and cool in the morning, but there was no rain. However, there was heavy rain in the afternoon and at night.
It is interesting how the weather can strongly influence us, especially in a city like Rio. Rio is a tropical city, so the norm is sunny, hot weather. I can remember times when it would not rain in Rio for up to two months.
The grass and lawns in the public parks and squares would turn brown from prolonged sun and heat without any rain, and be burnt to death.
Rio is a tropical city, whereas São Paulo is not. In the summer months, there used to be frequent tropical rain showers, as if someone had opened the taps and the water came flooding down, only to be suddenly turned off again after half an hour. When I first arrived in Brazil, these showers were quite common, but they are less frequent nowadays. The weather has changed.
However, sometimes in the summer, when the morning is intensely hot, Cariocas know that there will be rain in the afternoon, specifically a very heavy shower. These tropical showers are less common than they used to be, but they still happen, just not as often.
The beaches in Rio are crowded during the summer months, and going to the beach can be dangerous.
I am getting older, and I no longer have the same enthusiasm, energy, or patience to go to the beach. The beach is like a club; you will meet diverse groups and social classes, depending on which beach you go to and which part.
The LGBTQ will stay on the beach in front of Rua Farme de Amoedo in Ipanema. The wealthy are usually found in front of the Country Club in Ipanema. The lower-middle class and the poor are typically at the beach near the metro stations in Rio’s southern zone.
During the summer, many people from Rio’s northern zone flock to the southern zone, arriving at metro stations and then heading to the beach. It is important to be cautious when visiting the beaches in Rio during the summer.
This eclectic club can sometimes be unsafe and quite dangerous.
As I get older, I have less patience for going to the beach, especially when the sun is blazing. It is impossible to walk on the sand barefoot at midday. You must wear flip-flops or trainers to reach your desired spot on the crowded beach, weaving through umbrellas and people seeking shade. Getting to the sea feels like navigating a labyrinth of obstacles.
During the non-summer months, the beaches are still visited by people, but only a tiny fraction compared with the summer season. Very few people go to the beach when it rains, and even fewer go for a walk along the beach or on the street.
The weather strongly influences, or even determines, our actions. Sometimes we joke that a rainy weekend is good because it is an excuse to do nothing.
If it is a sunny, hot day, one almost feels obliged to go out and do something. I think it is similar to England, where you feel obliged to do something when it is sunny, even though sunny days are rarer there. A sunny day in England may be few and far between. In Rio, it is much more common to have a sunny, hot day than a cloudy or rainy one.
When the sun shines, it opens up endless possibilities for being outdoors and meeting people. This is what gives Rio its happy-go-lucky style. The city is home to approximately six million people and enjoys more sun and heat than cold and rain. The residents, the cariocas, are naturally happy because of this, and with good weather every day, there is no excuse not to be.
Personally, I do not mind either the sun or the heat. Even overcast and rainy weather is fine. The city is beautiful in all conditions; it is just a matter of knowing how to make the most of them.
Rio is an extraordinary city. I have been privileged to live here for so long, but it has changed like everything else. Nothing stays the same, and we must be careful not to cling to something from the past, insisting on something that no longer exists. That has gone for good. Through change and evolution, everything has moved on.
I love Rio. I have spent more than half my life in Rio, Brazil. Part of it is my own choice, and the other part is due to obligations. Life always throws us a curveball we do not expect, and what we thought would or would not happen does. In some ways, I am grateful to have spent the last 35 years in Rio; in other ways, I am often disappointed.
I often compare what I have now with what I could have had if I had stayed in England.
If I had not lived in another country for so long, I would not have gained the life experience I have. Even though it is not my home country, it has been like a school to me. Many people do not have the same experiences I do. I am not saying it is the only important thing in life, but it has given me something intangible and non-material that I am proud of.
I understand that, in some ways, I have helped my daughters see life and prepare for it differently than if their fathers were from Rio de Janeiro or Brazil.
If I had stayed in England, I might have had a better materialistic situation, but material possessions are not everything to me. I have never been very materialistic. I appreciate quality things, but I don’t believe material validation is so essential. I do not need to be a slave to fashion or worry about what matters in materialistic terms. This has never been a priority for me.
Sometimes, I see this as a fault, a flaw in me. Maybe I should be more materialistic, but I am not. When I visited my brother in England, it was clear that his definition of success was based solely on his ability to acquire material possessions: a house full of gadgets, a kitchen full of appliances, and everyone driving a new car.
I have never had that. Perhaps it is embarrassing or shameful, but that has always been my reality.
Maybe in the future I would like to change it. However, I know that my brother does not have the life experience I do. So we are back to the old story of compromise. Everything in life is a compromise, including life itself.
A morning of exercise, a late lunch and some computer work. Overall, a good day.
Be kind and be happy, and if you can’t be happy, still be kind, but not naïve!
In bed by 11p.m.
Thank you.
Thanks for reading this blog post. Please explore my other posts and share your thoughts in the comments section.
Richard
